Day: August 1, 2010

David and Cassidy had a great pool party to celebrate the end of the school year. Everyone had a great time in the pool:

Leilani, who has been swimming a few times at a Millbrae pool this year, isn’t afraid of getting her face wet in the water anymore. With the floatation suit and water wings to keep her up, she has no fear of the deep water, and she can paddle herself around wherever she wants to go. It’s not quite swimming yet, but it’s a big step forward:

And she loves playing in the water:

Olivia swims and dives really well, too:

Thank you David and family for inviting us, this was a great idea!

On June 26, at beaches all over the US and in places around the world, people joined hands to protest the BP Gulf disaster. By extension, people were also showing their support for using less oil and more renewable energy, hopefully reversing America’s oil addiction. This demonstration was organized and publicized by Hands Across the Sand, an organization that has been opposing offshore oil drilling since before the disaster.

We went to the closest beach in Pacifica. Unfortunately, the cold, windy, and cloudy weather meant there was a low turnout:

Kick the Oil Habit!

Recent conversation:

Sonja (looking at a Subway napkin claiming to be from 100% recycled paper): “I am so glad that the green idea is catching on with major coorporations.”
Leilani: “It is catching on everywhere!”
Sonja: “Yes even in schools.”
Leilani: “Did you know my crayons are made from soybeans?”

Leilani is extremely green. When she draws a car she points out it is electric and when she draws a house she always adds solar panels to the roof. I am very happy and proud about this, she is also really good about turning off faucets, not using too much toilet or tissue paper and being conservation minded in general.

The good example we set at home really is reinforced at school, and it really sticks.

Good morning Leilani and Andy!

Hair’s all better now:

Leilani and Remy really see eye-to-eye on a lot of things:

Looks like there is a line forming or Lisa’s treats… organic dog cookies anyone?

Making breakfast:

The campsite (Lower Piney Creek) is really nice, with a big creek flowing right next to it (and no poison oak blocking the creek).

Across the creek is an old road, and it’s all overgrown. Still, it seemed like we could walk there:

Remy could for sure, but he doesn’t slow down for poison oak:

Sonja saved 2 dragonflies from spider’s webs. They really held still while she pulled off string by string with the bristle of a grass. Both flew off seemingly unharmed. (These photos were taken before and probably of different dragonflies)

And there were still some pretty flowers; here a thistle:

We made our way downstream, and stopped at the second crossing for Leilani to play in the water:

Sonja says she meant to photoshop this… but her Photoshop CS 5 demo license ran out … and she doesn’t want to go back to the old one. Anyway, too dark for now:

Leilani still likes to take pictures of her feet. In this one, the sand had some mica in it, and she said her feet were “sparkly,” but it doesn’t show on the picture:

Check that out… this is so cool…

We were so amazed by the road, we both had to take pictures of the sign (there’s a reason it’s not visible from the main road nearby):

Father’s day weekend, we headed out camping again. We drove south on 101 past Salinas to the Arroyo Seco area. That campground was full, and the backup was Piney Creek a few miles away. It turns out to be difficult to access on a single-lane dirt road, so it was free. Lisa saved the campsite for us, and we got there just at dark on Friday.

At the campsite Saturday morning:

Leilani sang “D-I-N-G-O, D-I-N-G-O, Dingo was his name-o”

Leilani loves “Blasblumen”

On our walk the first day: Elegant Clarkia

Hiking next to Clarkia

And more Clarkia

Leilani recognized the Sticky Monkeyflower

Andy found the Spanish Bayonette (Hesperohucca Whipplei) in bloom:

And Sonja spotted this Splendid Mariposa

Leilani took a bath in the creek

Then we hiked to the top of a hill nearby. Leilani pounded some chalky rocks to bits:

Andy took pictures. The upper white line is the single-lane dirt access road on the side of a steep hill—no space to pass:

Looking south at what is probably Junipero Serra peak: